A Native Transformation

In 2012 Katie Hone was the recipient of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “Slow the Flow” grant, to help her mitigate harmful storm run-off and erosion on her family’s newly purchased Ipswich riverfront property. This launched her transformation of the landscape into a haven for wildlife, rooms now filled with over 80 species of native plants supporting birds, bees, and butterflies and conserving water along one of the nation’s top ten endangered rivers. Join us to learn how she replaced traditional foundation plantings and lawn with pollinator gardens and turned an eroding slope into a terraced rain garden. This workshop will be especially valuable to anyone new to native plant gardening and looking for inspiration and tips on getting started.

Once a Senior Aquarist and Educator at the New England Aquarium, Katie Hone has now shifted her passion for protecting threatened wildlife a bit closer to home. She is the owner and grower at The Monarch Gardener, a native host plant nursery with a seasonal farm stand in Hamilton, MA, and loves bringing her knowledge of monarch butterflies and pollinator gardens to schools, garden clubs, and community groups.